


Time in NightVale

by Russica



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 23:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13600617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Russica/pseuds/Russica
Summary: A brief story of how Carlos and Cecil meet and some of their story up to episode 25.





	Time in NightVale

**Author's Note:**

> This is my own headcanon drabble of how Cecil and Carlos met (I'm not caught up sorry for any errors) and also fluffed up transcripts from episodes 3, 16, and 25. I do not claim the speech from the podcast as my own and a link can be found at the end to the transcripts used.  
> Enjoy

A man stands on a street corner. The man has deep golden skin with beautifully wavy, long, black hair, perhaps a touch of grey at the temples. He sports several days worth of stubble but it really doesn't detract from his handsome features. His green eyes are staring rather curiously and his perfect black eyebrows are furrowed as he looks at a street sign.

He stares, confused, because he is sure this is supposed to be a crosswalk, but for one there is no crosswalk painted in the road and, two, the sign, instead of the usual 'DONT WALK', is displaying a rather graphic image of someone who was clearly run over. As he stands in his clean white lab coat, grey shirt, blue jeans, and dusty converse, he wonders at the strangeness of the town.

He looks across the way to see a man, presumably, waiting to cross the street and tapping away on his phone.

The man is fairly tall, at least, taller than he, his skin is pale. Despite the heat he is wearing a green sweatshirt, leggings with what appear to be teeth on them, and dirty old brown boots. Though the man's outfit calls in to question his sanity, it is the middle of a hot desert summer after all, and his blonde hair is cut ridiculously so, that the black hair underneath is half covered on the left side; it is his eyes that draw the first man's attention. Specifically the fact that he has 3 of them. There are two normally placed eyes, color unknown from the distance, with brown eyebrows over them and a third in the middle of his forehead, all three are intent on his phone. The sign changes to that of slowly wilting flowers and the perfect man's perfect gaze is drawn away to watch, he does not see the pale man approaching him.

The pale man notices him though. The eye in the middle of his forehead takes to watching the road and sees him watching the crosswalk sign. Though he sees him, and comprehends that the man is most likely real and therefore a physical thing he could probably touch, he is taken once again by his shear perfection and finds himself on a collision course. The strangers shoulders bump and the first man can now see that the second has two, normally placed, blue eyes and the one on his forehead is purple. The man is looking at him in shock and seems dazed.

"Excuse me."

The first man has a sort of high voice and seems to be very straight forward, if his speech in town the other day had been any indication.

"Oh uh yeah it was totally my fault, sorry."

The man has a deep and sonorous voice that doesn't seem to fit the almost teenage language he uses.

"I'm Carlos, I'm a scientist."

As he extends his perfect hand the other man seems thrown off.

"Cecil," the man squeaks out, clearly flustered. "I'm a radio host."

They shake hands and Carlos catches a glimpse of perhaps a tattoo on Cecil's wrist.

"Good to meet you Cecil, I'm here to study this, very strange, town in case you missed my announcement the other day."

"Oh yeah, wow that's like super interesting."

Carlos half smiles as he looks curiously at the giddy man. His language is peculiar.

"I've got to get going but maybe I'll see you around. Bye Cecil."

"Bye Carlos."

And as perfect Carlos, with his perfect hair and face and teeth walks away, Cecil feels his heart fluttering in his chest like so many vultures ready to claw out of his ribcage and pick apart his intestines. As he continues to walk, feeling lighter than air but thankfully not floating, again, he wonders how he can possibly go through the work day and talk about news and sports when all he wants is to talk about the perfect scientist who has come to town.   


 

Carlos took to listening to the Night Vale Public Radio after meeting the strange radio host. He spoke about the various mysteries in town and it was really very informative. Carlos was writing Greek and Latin characters on a whiteboard while saying 'Hmm' and 'Yes, I see'. When he was interrupted by Cecil's soothing voice.

"The arctic is lit by the midnight sun. The surface of the moon is lit by the face of the earth. Our little town is lit, too, by lights just above that we cannot explain. Welcome. To Night Vale."

Carlos had found that the way Cecil spoke was perfect background for all of the extremely scientific work he was doing. He worked and hummed and was nigh on the verge of a great discovery when his thoughts were interrupted.

"Two hawk-eyed listeners sent in reports that Carlos, our curious scientific visitor, was seen getting his beautiful, beautiful hair cut."

His voice was distraught as he demonized and admonished the terrible barber who dared to touch his hair. Carlos found his hands stroking through his, admittedly, much shorter hair as he listened to Cecil comment on his 'stunning coif'.

He didn't realize how long he'd been standing, dazed, a hand running half heartedly and selfconciously through his hair.

"If you don’t hear from me again, it has truly been a pleasure. Goodnight Night Vale, and goodbye!"

Cecil's harsh whisper brought Carlos out of his trance-like state. He frowned at the lab as he turned off the lights. That was surely enough experiments for one day.

 

Cecil was panting as he briskly walked away from the studio. In the windows of the upper floor he could see the vague shape of Station Management thrashing about. It had really been much too close for comfort. How had He gotten away exactly? All three eyes were turning from the building when he found himself literally running into Carlos.

He grabbed instinctively at Carlos' wrists and stabilized the falling man. He stared helplessly into green eyes barely hidden behind black framed glasses. His lab coat was a beautiful multicolored display over his blue plaid shirt, black jeans and black boots. Carlos stared in confusion at the three eyed man who had caught him. His strange outfit included a purple 'NVPR' crop top, black skirt and leggings, and grey sandals 

"Do you always run into people like this?"

"Oh um yeah, it's like... my thing."

That sounded exactly as stupid coming out as it did in Cecil's head. Carlos glanced at the strange purple tattoos that seemed to vibrate on Cecil's arms. Long tentacles spread and ended under the sleeves to his shirt.

"So, do any fun science things today?"

Carlos' face lit up as he began telling Cecil of all the things he was doing. Cecil nodded and hummed and replied appropriately as they began to walk. They chatted away about all manner of time and space and existential crises that left only crippling fear and unbearable suffering. Carlos had enjoyed talking so much he found himself surprised, and perhaps a tad disappointed, to already be at home.

"Oh, this is me. Well, not me, my apartment."

Cecil grinned like an idiot.

"You know, you should like, call me if you want to talk about more science stuff. I'm  _really_  in to science."

Before Carlos could answer Cecil took his hand and left the psychic imprint of his phone number on it, as was mandated after the ban on writing utensils.

"Bye Carlos."

"Oh, uh, bye Cecil."

As Cecil happily trotted off towards his own home, Carlos entered his confused but in a good way he supposed. The town never ceased in its ability to confuse and amaze.

 

Cecil was lounging on his battered brown couch in his most comfortable, floor length, green and blue robe and pondering life's meaninglessness when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"I need to talk to you. It's important."

Carlos voice is urgent but that sweet sweet poisonous caramel tone is almost enough to cause Cecil to faint. He settles for a rather warm blush though, as fainting during a phone call is rude. Also it's been like months since he gave Carlos his number and he was kind of freaking out that he'd never call.

"Umm okay."

"Cecil. Cecil, I think time is slowing down in Night Vale.”

At the sound of that voice breathing his name he found himself at a loss for word and air and conscious thought.

“Oh?”

“Last week: seven days, 24 hours each day, 60 minutes in each hour. That’s 10,080 minutes in a week, right?”

“Uh huh? Go on…”

His palms were sweating profusely and his heart was actively switching between trying to climb out throat and burrowing into his stomach.

“Well, I ran some figures, and during that same amount of time in Night Vale, 11,783 minutes elapsed everywhere else in the world. That’s more than a full day longer. I don’t know what’s happening.”

"Neat!"

_Dumb!_

That was a dumb thing to say. Neat? Really? He regretted it immediately. He imagined Carlos probably thought he was an idiot, even though, in reality, he did not.

"Uh would you like to maybe get together sometime, and talk some more about this really fascinating subject?"

"Oh, sorry I'm actually really busy right now. But I could really use your help getting the word out to your listeners."

"Oh um yeah I can do that."

"Great, see if anyone has noticed a massive time-shift. Thanks Cecil. Bye."

"Bye~"

As the phone clicked off Cecil pulled his legs up to his chest. A great welling if giddiness spread over him and he couldn't help but laugh happily as he thought of beautiful Carlos. The tentacles along his arms and torso wriggled anxiously against his skin.

 

It had been nearly a year since he'd laid eyes on Carlos. A year of scientific discovery. And now... Carlos was... He was.... Cecil closed all three of his eyes as unshed tears burned in them. How many things had He not said to him? How could any of the ancient gods let the light of his, and NightVales, bleak existence be snuffed out? He wanted to sob into his hands and hide away and mourn the loss of such a sweet and innocent life. How? Why?

As he held on to the last vestiges of sanity his phone pinged rather sadly. He jumped to his feet as he read the text from Intern Karen. Carlos was alive! Oh praise to the omnipotent gods and governments that be, Carlos is alive! He praised the brave Apache Tracker who so valiantly saved dear Carlos' life. Praised the life of a man he once denounced but who had given his own life to save another. To save someone so near and dear to his heart and soul. His phone pinged, much happier this time.

'I need to see you. Meet me in the Arby's parking lot.  
  -Carlos'

Cecil sent the segment to the weather before throwing off his headphones and running from the studio. He ran past the terrifying frosted glass of Station Management and into the streets. He ran past several Night Valeans wandering along in their meaningless existence, unaware of the tragedy and rebirth around them.

He was panting as he stumbled into the Arby's parking lot. Carlos sat on the hood of a car, his lab coat and green shirt were splattered with blood.

"What is it? Wha– what danger are we in? What mystery needs to be explored?”

Cecil could have cried for joy at seeing him in one piece.

“Nothing, after everything that happened…I just wanted to see you.”

Carlos smiled at him and Cecil's heart hammered dangerously against his ribcage. He really needs to get that checked.

“Oh?”

“I used to think it was setting at the wrong time,” he hummed as he waved vaguely towards the sunset. “But then I realized that time doesn’t work in Night Vale, and that none of the clocks are real. Sometimes things seem so strange, or malevolent, and then you find that, underneath, it was something else altogether. Something pure, and innocent.”

“I know what you mean."

There underneath the sky, which was mostly void and partially stars, in the glow of the Arby's sign, two people shared a moment in time. As Carlos placed his hand on Cecil's bare knee and Cecil leaned on Carlos' shoulder, they shared something that no words could express. A moment to just silently take in all that was not said but still felt deeply and reverberating within the bubble of time that had become their universe.

So many things cannot begin to be perceived or understood in the endless cycle of the world. So many things that can never be known. But this is known. Understood. This understanding of bonding with another soul that hurdles, aimless and terrified and confused through an existence which they now get to share. A brief moment where all the fragilities of life come together in a swell of emotion that cannot be named but they both know. They both understand.

And they sit, in a silence saying everything that ever need be said. And it is nice.

Take heart Night Vale. And as always, goodnight.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Transcripts of episodes found at: https://cecilspeaks.tumblr.com/post/56852925173/episode-3-station-management


End file.
